Health Insurance Companies and the Cost of Healthcare
About a year ago, my doctor and I discussed a surgical way that would alleviate some issues I have had over the past couple of years. Our discussion did not center on my well being as a patient, although that was the ultimate goal. Rather, it revolved around the cost associated with the surgery and whether or not health insurance would cloak it. Unfortunately, this was not my first conversation with a health care provider regarding health insurance and probably won’t be my last. I have gone from having no health insurance coverage, while in college, to having a major HMO concept when I worked for a big corporation, to being covered, sporadically, while being self-employed.
After being married a few years, my husband and I learned the inequity between insurance paid health costs and those costs paid, out-of-pocket. This happened when my doctor confirmed we would be having our first child. We were very inflamed even as we were directed to the doctor’s billing office to arrange payment. We were asked if we had health insurance. We did, indeed, have health insurance, but had learned that it did not screen maternity costs. We were told our cost to the doctor, especially if paid up-front, would be considerable less than if our insurance had covered it anyway. What we learned was that doctors and hospitals charge a considerable higher rate for those covered by insurance due to the extra costs they incur in having to deal with health insurance companies in the first position! We were shy by this, but were gay that our payment made that day was lower than it would have been had we actually had coverage. About a week later, we visited the hospital for a tour of the maternity unit, and paid them for their upcoming services too.
Approximately eight months later, our baby girl was born via emergency surgery. After returning home, I received a bill from the hospital for around ten thousand dollars. I also got an extra bill from my doctor as well. I was devastated. We had fair brought home our newborn baby and what should have been a joyous time, became a very stressful one. However, we swiftly paid the doctor for his additional services and I began making monthly payments to the hospital. I was told that since emergency surgery was performed, that our insurance may extinguish up paying section of the bill. I contacted our insurance company and they said, no.
Six busy months with our daughter had expeditiously passed when I got a call from the hospital. The lady on the other ruin of the phone said, “I gawk you have been making payments to us for a while.” Then she laughed and said, “With the rate you’re going, this bill will pick forever to pay off! We were incorrect in billing you as considerable as we did. You really only owe fifteen hundred dollars. Would you like to achieve that on a credit card? ” She went on to screech me that they had inadvertently billed me the hospital’s “insurance rate”. I was relieved that I didn’t owe the larger amount, but it made me realize impartial how powerful the cost of healthcare was inflated due to the involvement of health insurance companies.
Being self-employed now, we have tried individual health insurance plans and they simply do not work. What I have found is, the monthly premiums begin out at a somewhat reasonable rate, but they eventually increase dramatically in label after about a year. When we try to exercise the coverage for nothing more than a doctor’s visit, we are billed the insurance rate. That rate can result in distinguished more money owed than if we had simply paid out-of-pocket in the first location. My experience with health insurance companies is that they have added a large amount of cost and complexity to something very personal. When a doctor and their patient have to be concerned with the effect of a intention, rather than the well-being of the patient, it’s evident that the insurance companies have taken the care out of healthcare.
About a year ago, my doctor and I discussed a surgical method that would alleviate some issues I have had over the past couple of years. Our discussion did not center on my well being as a patient, although that was the ultimate goal. Rather, it revolved around the cost associated with the surgery and whether or not health insurance would hide it. Unfortunately, this was not my first conversation with a health care provider regarding health insurance and probably won’t be my last. I have gone from having no health insurance coverage, while in college, to having a major HMO belief when I worked for a spacious corporation, to being covered, sporadically, while being self-employed.
After being married a few years, my husband and I learned the dissimilarity between insurance paid health costs and those costs paid, out-of-pocket. This happened when my doctor confirmed we would be having our first child. We were very indignant even as we were directed to the doctor’s billing office to arrange payment. We were asked if we had health insurance. We did, indeed, have health insurance, but had learned that it did not shroud maternity costs. We were told our cost to the doctor, especially if paid up-front, would be mighty less than if our insurance had covered it anyway. What we learned was that doctors and hospitals charge a powerful higher rate for those covered by insurance due to the extra costs they incur in having to deal with health insurance companies in the first situation! We were jumpy by this, but were elated that our payment made that day was lower than it would have been had we actually had coverage. About a week later, we visited the hospital for a tour of the maternity unit, and paid them for their upcoming services too.
Approximately eight months later, our baby girl was born via emergency surgery. After returning home, I received a bill from the hospital for around ten thousand dollars. I also got an extra bill from my doctor as well. I was devastated. We had honest brought home our newborn baby and what should have been a joyous time, became a very stressful one. However, we speedy paid the doctor for his additional services and I began making monthly payments to the hospital. I was told that since emergency surgery was performed, that our insurance may raze up paying share of the bill. I contacted our insurance company and they said, no.
Six busy months with our daughter had rapid passed when I got a call from the hospital. The lady on the other extinguish of the phone said, “I peer you have been making payments to us for a while.” Then she laughed and said, “With the rate you’re going, this bill will catch forever to pay off! We were unsuitable in billing you as distinguished as we did. You really only owe fifteen hundred dollars. Would you like to set aside that on a credit card? ” She went on to deliver me that they had inadvertently billed me the hospital’s “insurance rate”. I was relieved that I didn’t owe the larger amount, but it made me realize fair how considerable the cost of healthcare was inflated due to the involvement of health insurance companies.
Being self-employed now, we have tried individual health insurance plans and they simply do not work. What I have found is, the monthly premiums inaugurate out at a somewhat reasonable rate, but they eventually increase dramatically in note after about a year. When we try to expend the coverage for nothing more than a doctor’s visit, we are billed the insurance rate. That rate can result in noteworthy more money owed than if we had simply paid out-of-pocket in the first status. My experience with health insurance companies is that they have added a vast amount of cost and complexity to something very personal. When a doctor and their patient have to be concerned with the label of a device, rather than the well-being of the patient, it’s evident that the insurance companies have taken the care out of healthcare.
